September 21, 2012

Endangered Species Bulletin Highlights Success in Recovering the Nation’s Rarest Plants and Animals

Recovery is a means for restoring our Nation’s endangered and threatened species to healthy, self-sustaining population levels. The decline of most listed plants and animals occurs over decades or even centuries. Reversing this decline is a complex task that takes time, expertise, and dedication. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with many partners to prevent a species’ decline, stabilize or increase its populations and recover it to the point in which Endangered Species Act protection is no longer necessary.

This edition of the Endangered Species Bulletin highlights the work of Service biologists and partners to ensure that the least among us have a fighting chance at survival.

Here is a sampling of stories in this edition:

Chris Davidson writes about the Magazine Mountain shagreen – a tiny, secretive terrestrial snail – and its journey toward recovery. Meagan Racey pens a piece on a collaborative partnership between the Service, conservation organizations, and private landowners to restore one of Texas' last coastal prairies and the wildlife it supports, including the critically endangered Attwater’s prairie chicken. Ferrisa Connell provides an update on the Short-tailed Albatross Translocation Project, a historic effort to create an additional breeding colony on Japan’s Mukojima Island – a safe and protected location within the bird's former range.

The Endangered Species Bulletin is available exclusively online at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/news/bulletin.html. Updated bimonthly to ensure timely updates regarding endangered and threatened species issues, each edition includes an in-depth feature article coupled with several supporting articles, a live news feed, plus other new and social media offerings.

The Service is actively engaged with conservation partners and the public in the search for improved and innovative ways to conserve and recover imperiled species. To learn more about the Endangered Species Program, visit: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/ where you can subscribe to the Endangered Species Bulletin and other news, download podcasts and find links to follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Information contained in older news items may be outdated. These materials are made available as historical archival information only. Individual contacts have been replaced with general External Affairs office information. No other updates have been made to the information and we do not guarantee current accuracy or completeness.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.